Summer Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• peeled
• 1 stalk celery
• trimmed
• 1 carrot
• peeled and roughly chopped
• Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 cups passata (available at specialty food markets) or pureed canned tomatoes
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 3 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
• 1 garlic clove
• peeled and minced
• 1 large egg
• lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano
• 1/2 cup finely chopped basil leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 cup chopped basil leaves
• 4 to 5 whole basil leaves

Instructions

1. To prepare sauce: in bowl of a food processor, combine onion, garlic, celery, carrot and lemon zest.
2. Process until minced.
3. Place large saucepan or flameproof casserole over medium-low heat, and add oil and butter.
4. Add minced vegetables and salt to taste.
5. Saute gently until softened but not browned, about 10 minutes.
6. Add sugar, passata and 2 cups water.
7. Cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
8. Add milk, and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes more.
9. Meanwhile, begin preparing meatballs.
10. To prepare meatballs: in a large bowl, combine ground turkey, ground pork, bread crumbs, garlic and egg; mix well.
11. Add pecorino, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.
12. Mix until thoroughly blended.
13. Line a large baking sheet with plastic wrap.
14. Dampen hands with cold water, and roll rounded teaspoonfuls of meatball mixture, placing meatballs on sheet; there should be about 80.
15. Add meatballs to simmering sauce, shaking pan gently to make room as they are dropped in; do not stir.
16. Simmer, partly covered, until meat is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.
17. To serve, transfer meatballs and sauce to a serving bowl, and sprinkle with pine nuts and whole basil leaves.
18. Serve, if desired, with cooked rice, garnishing each serving with more pine nuts and chopped basil.